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<h1>
    AUTECHRE
</h1>

<div class="quote">
    "These reviews don't contain repetitive beats and are not randomly generated."<br />

    <img alt="Booth and Brown" src="images/autechre.png" />
</div>

<div class="members">
    Sean Booth and Bob Brown<br />

    <a href="http://www.southparkstudios.com/games/create.html">South Park Create-A-Character</a>
</div>

<p class="albumList">
  <a href="#incunabula">Incunabula</a><br />
  <a href="#anti">Anti</a><br />
  <a href="#amber">Amber</a><br />
  <a href="#garbage">Garbage</a><br />
  <a href="#vapre">Anvil Vapre</a><br />
  <a href="#repetae">Tri Repetae</a><br />
  <a href="#envane">Envane</a><br />
  <a href="#slide">Chiastic Slide</a><br />
  <a href="#cichlisuite">Cichlisuite</a><br />
  <a href="#lp5">LP5</a><br />
  <a href="#session">Peel Session</a><br />
  <a href="#ep7">EP7</a><br />
  <a href="#session2">Peel Session 2</a><br />
  <a href="#confield">Confield</a><br />
  <a href="#graf">Gantz Graf</a><br />
  <a href="#draft730">Draft 7.30</a><br />
  <a href="#untilted">Untilted</a><br />
</p>

<p>Someone created the genre IDM, which stands for Intelligent Dance Music, and put Autechre in it. Certainly wasn't me, for I wouldn't create a genre with a name as silly as "Intelligent Dance Music". You can feel like ripping my head off if you will, but I really <em>do</em> think it's a silly name for a genre, and a silly <em>idea</em> for a genre. Want it or not, Aphex Twin agrees with me. Why, so there's "Intelligent" dance music, and the rest is "Stupid" dance music? Sorry, I don't buy that, and in art, intelligence is WAY too subjective a criteria to create a genre based on it. And applying it to Autechre... well, you can dance to their music. Certainly you can, but you don't <em>have</em> to; and they don't make music only with that purpose. Sometimes, I even have serious doubt whether you make music for dancing <em>at all</em>, but hey, there are so many forms and styles of dancing unknown to me that I'd better shut up and talk about whether I like the music or not.</p>

<p>And IDM or not, I really like Autechre. Yes, I'll be a jerk and say they only got better as their "evolution" went by. The dance music fiddlings of their early carreer is all fine and dandy, but it's just not as rewarding as their more complex, sophisticated albums. That's all elitist talk, of course, but I'm honest and serious. For the unenlightened, Autechre's music got pretty damn <em>strange</em> as time went by; not "weird" or "goofy", but very unusual for their own standards. On the surface, it sounds like all they're doing is purposefully ruin any trace of rhythm (in a genre that's highly based on rhythm, notice), but that's too simplistic a way to see it. I don't feel exactly comfortable by saying their latter albums are "experimental", but they are certainly very adventurous, exploratory, and demonstrate a lot of possibilities. And in addition, it can easily be seen as "art", and very entertaining art. At least for me.</p>

<p>Those who don't like that kind of stuff don't need to turn away from Autechre in disgust, though! Their carreer is relatively varied in terms of style, and those who are just up for some music for dancing can pick up <strong>Incunabula</strong>, while those interested in the crossover between electronic rhythms and abstract landscapes can get <strong>Amber</strong> and/or <strong>Tri Repetae</strong>. Anyone that has a mild interest in "dance" music that doesn't go "doof, doof, doof" for sixty minutes straight should check these guys out. They're talented, creative, interesting... what else could you ask for?</p>

<p><a href="mailto:sirmustapha@gmail.com">Mail your ideas</a>!</p>

<hr />

<h2 id="incunabula">Incunabula (1993)</h2>
<p class="medium">
  Best song: <big>Bike</big>
</p>
<div class="medium">
  Track list:
</div>
<ol class="trackList">
  <li>Kalpol Introl</li>
  <li><span class="good">Bike ++</span></li>
  <li>Autriche</li>
  <li>Bronchus 2</li>
  <li>Basscadet <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Eggshell <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Doctrine <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Maetl</li>
  <li>Windwind</li>
  <li><span class="good">Lowride ++</span></li>
  <li><span class="good">444 ++</span></li>
</ol>

<p>Well, so this might be dance music alright, and it certainly is intelligent, but I've already ranted about those who decided to make that a <em>musical genre</em>, and I'll let it rest. <strong>Incunabula</strong>, in terms of Autechre, might not be the best place to look at to see what's so "innovative" about them, but it certainly caused a big stir back then, and even today it's considered as a prime instance of the more sophisticated, cerebral yet entirely energetic and rhythmic electronica. Most songs here are <em>heavily</em> based on funky 4/4 electronic grooves, and built with electronic loops. Some songs here do really sound like a juxtaposition of loops, as in "four bars of loop A, B, C; now put two bars of loop D, and launch into four bars of A, C and D; okay, now eight bars of A and E, now four of A, B, D and E," and so on, kind of like they are trying all the different possible combinations.</p>

<p>Things aren't so mindnumbingly simplistic though, because if there <em>is</em> a skill in creating loops and combining them into great new things, then these guys have it. Besides, things here aren't just rhythm, rhythm and rhythm. Pretty much every song contains at least one little melody thingy in it - more like a <em>riff</em>, but a very melodic riff. So, in the middle of all that grooving and shaking, there's something going on that really sticks to your brain and is likely to stay there long after the album is over, and you might find yourself whistling sometime. An example of that is 'Eggshell', a rather hushed, relaxed, long groove with the breezy synth pads, the swishing percussion effects, and a damn catchy synth line popping up every now and then. Really nifty! The best one, though, is 'Bike', which grooves along with an <em>extra</em> dancey rhythm and a simple but memorable bubbling synth melody on top of it all. Of course, there are several different passages in those songs, as they switch loops, chord progressions, synth patches and all, so it's ought to keep you interested.</p>

<p>As for a "counter-example" of the above, there's 'Basscadet', a heavy, jerky dance tune (not that <em>I</em> can dance to this stuff) with dozens upon dozens of different loops (I think) combining themselves with each other, forming loud, distorted, saturated percussive attacks - almost like an industrial nightmare. I admit that the brutal compression of these sounds might get on my nerves at times, but when I'm in the mood, it's a really cool song. And it's the only song here that gets to such level of, say, "aggression". All the others are nicer, be it in eerie, menacing ways like the fast 'Maetl' with its twangy sounds, or in very long, minimalistic near-ambient ways like 'Windwind'. You know, 'Windwind' <em>is</em> long - the longest in the album - and it's got to be something of a test for the less patient ones. I like it, actually - it hovers about pleasantly with hazy, unclear chords and harmonies which sound rather intriguing when you listen closely. Those chords add a sense of <em>depth</em> to it, so it's not just plain, predictable ambience. Not that Autechre have discovered America with it - Aphes Twin and many others had gone there before, but hey, is this <em>really</em> the right time to complain about the album's derivativeness? It <em>does</em> have its fair share of derivativeness, and admitedly so. There's no attempt at "serious art" here. Yes, yes, there's a bit of weirdness, as in the echoey, bubbling, distant 'Bronchus 2', with its distorted voice-like sounds, and the eerie, hollow-sounding 'Kalpol Introl', but so what? Let the kids play.</p>

<p>The songs, overall, are highly likable, and I can see someone going crazy over the unusual sounds of 'Maetl' (with its metallic riffs and rhythms) or 'Autriche' (with the "duck quack" synth and gloomy chords). Myself, I really like the two final songs, aside from 'Bike'. '444' is a great, creepy drone with a menacing synth melody at the very forefront and an interesting, ever-growing dynamic you can't quite put your finger on. On a happier tone, 'Lowride' is <em>completely</em> different from the rest of the songs, almost like an electronic bossa nova, with really nifty parts for synth strings and electric piano. The middle part with the buzzing sounds detract a little from the atmosphere towards more pure sonic exploration, but the effect is actually good, creating a bit of distress. That makes twenty-four minutes of music I <em>really</em> like. Not bad. Not exactly <em>impressive</em>, but perfectly fine. It won't get a super rating, but no one should be surprised to see me listening to this stuff. It's really good, once in a while.</p>

<p class="ratingHeader">
  Rating:
</p>

<p class="rating">
  <big>Fun factor:  <strong>12/15</strong></big> - Fun enough.<br />
  <big>Resonance:   <strong>11/15</strong></big> - It gets exciting at times, relaxing at others. It's sufficient to touch my nerves, at least.<br />
  <big>Originality: <strong>10/15</strong></big> - Can anyone help me here?<br />
  <big>Richness:    <strong>12/15</strong></big> - Hey, those melodies <em>are</em> here, you know!<br />
  <big>Solidness:   <strong>12/15</strong></big> - It works fine, really fine.
</p>

<p class="ratingFinale">
  Total: <img src="images/11.png" alt="11" />
</p>

<p>Comments? Ideas? <a href="mailto:sirmustapha@gmail.com">Mail me</a>!</p>

<hr />

<h2 id="anti">Anti (1994)</h2>
<p class="medium">
  Best song: <big>Flutter</big>
</p>
<div class="medium">
  Track list:
</div>
<ol class="trackList">
  <li>Lost</li>
  <li>Djarum</li>
  <li><span class="good">Flutter ++</span></li>
</ol>

<p>This EP stands as probably the only Autechre release with an <em>actual meaning</em>, or goal, or whatever you wish. Released about one month prior to the release of their second LP, <strong>Anti</strong> is pretty much a sarcastic protest against the ban on raves, raised with the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act of 1994, and based on the definition of music with "repetitive beats". You won't expect <em>me</em> to give my opinion on the Act, being that I wasn't there at the time, so I can only comment on the EP. For the casual listener, the "protest" aspect of the music won't matter the least - but it's quite fun sticking to it. In a distinctively British tone, side A of the EP is built on "repetitive beats", and is issued with a warning that its performance in public will result in imprisonment. Side B, formed by the track 'Flutter', is described as having "non-repetitive beats". And it hasn't. Sort of. The most striking aspect of this release, by this time, is that they were aiming it <em>specifically</em> for raves, which I assume wasn't the case with their following LP's and EP's. Even still, this music is light-years ahead of its contemporary "techno" and "dance" and whatever the hell they called that "doof doof doof" happy stuff.</p>

<p>Even more: it's already ahead of <strong>Incunabula</strong>. There isn't that sense of "amateurishness" in their music anymore (which really wasn't that much of a harm). Instead, there's more atmosphere and sense of space, even though this is only a tiny bit of what was yet to come with <strong>Amber</strong>. 'Lost', the track dedicated to the eponymous TV series even before the show was conceived, is already a good example of that, with echoey percussion sounds and a moving, shaky rhythm that grooves along nicely. It's a fine track, and the slow melody that accompanies it is a nice touch, even though it might feel a bit "tacked on". It doesn't meld in as well as the riffs in <strong>Incunabula</strong> did. But that rhythm! 'Djarum' surprises us with metallic, almost industrial broken rhythms and scary high pitched squeaks and low pitched basses. A very interesting song, for sure. But the centrepiece is 'Flutter', with its tricky-as-hell percussion work and a beautiful melodic work. Man, the effort Autechre put in making a track without "repetitive beats" is <em>obvious</em> here. It's an impressive work. The track keeps changing at every moment, it's danceable, and the rhythm never, ever stands still. In a way, it predates the complex rhythm work in <strong>Confield</strong>, but the focus here was in making something that could be played in raves. The songs loses a little in the atmosphere department, but heck, who am I to complain?</p>

<p>The only fault in this EP, I guess, is that it lacks songs. Not that this is the reason I'm not giving it a 12 or anything, but if they had come up with more songs like these, they could have come up with a hell of an album. They didn't, and they <em>still</em> came up with a hell of an album, anyway: <strong>Amber</strong>. But in short, <strong>Anti</strong> is very interesting, impressive and enjoyable, and worth checking out. Fans of <strong>Incunabula</strong> shouldn't go without it.</p> 

<p class="ratingHeader">
  Rating:
</p>

<p class="rating">
  <big>Fun factor:  <strong>11/15</strong></big> - A lot of potential is shown here, aside from 'Flutter', which IS developed fully.<br />
  <big>Resonance:   <strong>11/15</strong></big> - Yes, better in that department, already.<br />
  <big>Originality: <strong>11/15</strong></big> - Hard to say. While it doesn't sound too innovative, it surely was a creative "protest".<br />
  <big>Richness:    <strong>12/15</strong></big> - Well written songs? You betcha.<br />
  <big>Solidness:   <strong>12/15</strong></big> - Works pretty well, actually.
</p>

<p class="ratingFinale">
  Total: <img src="images/11.png" alt="11" />
</p>

<p>Any comments? <a href="mailto:sirmustapha@gmail.com">Mail them to me</a>!</p>

<hr />

<h2 id="amber">Amber (1994)</h2>
<p class="medium">
  Best song: <big>Slip</big>
</p>
<div class="medium">
  Track list:
</div>
<ol class="trackList">
  <li>Foil <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Montreal <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Silverside</li>
  <li><span class="good">Slip ++</span></li>
  <li>Glitch <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li><span class="good">Piezo ++</span></li>
  <li><span class="good">Nine ++</span></li>
  <li><span class="good">Further ++</span></li>
  <li>Yulquen</li>
  <li><span class="good">Nil ++</span></li>
  <li>Teartear <span class="good">+</span></li>
</ol>

<p>Wow. The stylistic difference in this album almost makes the previous effort sound like a soundcheck, or a good humoured rehearsal. And if, using a stupid metaphor, Autechre <em>were</em> merely warming up their machines on <strong>Incunabula</strong>, then the real fun begins here. <strong>Amber</strong>, the only Autechre album with a name you can properly comprehend and a cover you can properly distinguish, is quite a thrill. For one, the loop-based nature of their music is... well, <em>still</em> there, but if on <strong>Incunabula</strong> they'd amass a dozen loops and switch between them to showcase the interesting interactions between them, here, they amass... um, one or two loops and let them interact with <em>you</em>. Sounds dull? Well, the album <em>is</em> much more minimal, mantraic and repetitive than <strong>Incunabula</strong>, but the real catch is that it sounds like the band had a <em>clear</em> vision they wanted to create with their music. But who knows <em>what</em> those visions are? Vast landscapes and natural formations, like on the album cover? Synthetic machinery working like mad at the top of their speed? Abstract, surrealistic visions and sonic trips? Who knows! It's all up to you, basically, and the album just leaves a <em>hint</em> of what's going on. You fill in the blanks the way you desire.</p>

<p>In short, it's quite an interactive album. But it's a <em>long</em>, samey interactive album. A test of your patience, if you will. But guess what, I am patient, and I enjoy everything in the album to some extent. And fans of <strong>Incunabula</strong>'s melodies will have to be satisfied with the, um, <em>occasional</em> hints of melody in this album. Yes, it <em>is</em> the kind of album that values the <em>sound</em> more than the musical content, but that's electronic music, after all. And <em>all</em> tracks - and I repeat, <em>all</em> tracks - achieve their aim, whatever it is, and in one way or another. The final result is a rich, immersive, nocturnal album, very good for playing loud in a darkened room at night.</p>

<p>It's not exactly diverse, notice. Most songs follow a bit of a pattern. The basic idea is to set up a 4/4 foundation and then enchance it with the <em>perfect</em> sounds, little melodies and percussion effects - which are sometimes sparse and minimal, and other times rich and full. As such, you have examples of repetitive, circular tunes with tricky rhythms and spaced-out sounds like 'Foil', which just keeps sinking in its own ocean of humming drones, phased percussive effects and echoey sparse percussion, and 'Glitch', which features sounds like bells ran through a ring modulator. 'Montreal' also goes that way, but features a very simple, but catchy two-note bass line under a super groovy rhythm augmented by a "dime on a counter" effect, and later joined by high-pitched, toy-piano-like little melodies. It's really cool and imaginative. And 'Silverside' goes the "eerie" path with haunting synth-string notes and low-pitched effects (one of them which was already used on the also eerie 'Kalpol Introl') on a slow, ominous rhythm. Cool stuff.</p>

<p>The tracks I like the most are the more musical ones, though the concept of "musicality" in this album is a bit strange. For example, the main feature of 'Slip' is a strange, elastic synth line with is <em>fantastically</em> catchy, in spite of being so weird - oh, scrap that, it's catchy <em>because</em> it's weird, but it's also tuneful and (relatively) cheery. 'Slip' is without a doubt the cheeriest song here, and fits in marvellously well with the darker material. 'Nine', the shortest song at three minutes, is made up almost entirely of similarly elastic, echoed synths, but the patterns it forms are more complex and hard to follow, and the music is formed by the way they come together and complete the puzzle. For <em>me</em>, it could have been longer, but I don't know if many other people'd feel like that. Yes, the songs are pretty long, overall, and we have 'Further' which <em>is</em> pretty long, and 'Yulquen', which <em>feels</em> pretty long. The latter is <em>one</em> hushed electric-piano-like loop in 10/4 for the entire song. It's a melodic loop, but heck, it's <em>only one</em> - no rhythm, no synth pads, very few effects. That's minimalism for ya! And it works, because the band enhances the mood as the loop goes through a few effects, and later slowly vanishes. The former is made up mostly of a haunting loop of high-pitched marimba-like sounds, which is later joined by all sorts of synth effects to create haunting, rich waves of texture and crap - "crap" being the terms with I came up to describe the song, of course, because the song is magnificent and I love following its slow, lengthy, delightful development. Those sounds are so wonderfully dark and so wonderfully warm it's actually quite hard to imagine them.</p>

<p>Another favourites of mine are 'Nil', with its sparse, vague synth chords, and 'Piezo', which starts off with weird percussion loops and effects, and then turns in with really eerie synth chords. Especially creepy, though, is 'Teartear', which is nearly downright <em>scary</em>, with its string sounds and pounding rhythm, which later <em>slows down</em> and becomes even more pounding and scarier. Hey, who said there's no emotional resonance in electronic music? There <em>is</em> feeling in this music - or, at least, there <em>can</em> be, if the listener tries hard enough. And <strong>Amber</strong> is to me, arguably, Autechre's most emotional album ever. Maybe fans of <strong>Incunabula</strong> will speak in the latter's favour, and I won't argue. They're both very tangible records, <strong>Incunabula</strong> much more than <strong>Amber</strong>, but guess what? I love Autechre when they're abstract, and I really, really dig this record, and 'Teartear' reminds me of the Cure. Try singing the lyrics of 'One Hundred Years' over that.</p>

<p class="ratingHeader">
  Rating:
</p>

<p class="rating">
  <big>Fun factor:  <strong>14/15</strong></big> - Thoroughly entertaining, I say.<br />
  <big>Resonance:   <strong>13/15</strong></big> - The atmospherics may not be fully developed yet, but they work for me.<br />
  <big>Originality: <strong>12/15</strong></big> - It's creative, for sure.<br />
  <big>Richness:    <strong>14/15</strong></big> - Musical ideas? Sure got them!<br />
  <big>Solidness:   <strong>14/15</strong></big> - Tell you what, this is very consistent.
</p>

<p class="ratingFinale">
  Total: <img src="images/13.png" alt="13" />
</p>

<p>Any comments? <a href="mailto:sirmustapha@gmail.com">Mail them to me</a>!</p>

<hr />

<h2 id="garbage">Garbage (1994)</h2>
<p class="medium">
  Best song: <big>Garbagemx36</big>
</p>
<div class="medium">
  Track list:
</div>
<ol class="trackList">
  <li><span class="good">Garbagemx36 ++</span></li>
  <li>PIOBmx19</li>
  <li>Bronchusevenmx24</li>
  <li>VLetrmx21 <span class="good">+</span></li>
</ol>

<p>Funny how the times change. For Autechre, in 1994, this 40 minute long release is an EP, when many other bands would be happy to call it an LP not too many years before it. But Autechre have their own reasons to call this an EP; for example, it's considerably shorter than their LP releases, has only four songs, and it's kind of a "companion" to <strong>Amber</strong>, since these songs are from those sessions and were left off the album mainly due to space constraints.</p>

<p>First and foremost: pretty strange song titles, huh? This is one of the few Autechre EP's with song titles following a "formula" of sorts. Don't ask me where the "mx" comes from, but the number at the end means the percentage of the EP's total running length the track takes. Of course, that's just a silly, irrelevant curiosity, but we all need that. Besides, it's important for you to know how long each song is. So do the math. Use the Windows calculator if you need. As for the music, well, I'm not surprised that <em>these</em> tracks were pulled out of <strong>Amber</strong>. None of them are bad, but they lack the development, sense of growth and deepness that the tracks from that album had. The only track that, in my opinion, could have been a mighty addition to <strong>Amber</strong> is 'Garbagemx36', a fourteen minute piece with honestly great tricks and changes added in for great justice. Starting off with an apparently bland rhythm, the song starts to grow with starts-and-stops, chord changes and different synth patterns and chord sequences added in. It never grows to the kind of loop layering <strong>Incunabula</strong> presented, and it's dang fine as it is. It never gets dull, and it's a beautiful, enjoyable, and even danceable piece. Definitely a highlight for Autechre's early carreer.</p>

<p>The following tracks are far more minimal. And, in fact, both 'PIOBmx19' and 'Bronchusevenmx24' are based mainly on rhythm and percussion, with radically minimal melodic work. The former only brings up a sketch of a three-note melody below its ocean of bouncing, ping-pong, echoed percussion, which goes and goes without ever changing. The rhythm works well, I say, but I'm not sure if it holds my attention for six minutes straight. It really does get pretty close to overdoing it. The latter, at least, has a less overwhelming rhythm. Indeed, it's worthy of carrying the "Bronchus" title, as it brings back the bubbling sounds from 'Bronchus 2', this time on a straight, less syncopated 4/4 rhythm. It's even longer, though, and the only thing detracting from the rhythm are plaintive chords humming on the background. The percussion is good and mesmerising, but doesn't deliver the rich atmosphere that <strong>Amber</strong> could create. The EP, though, ends on a pretty high note, with one of the most unusual traks in Autechre's repertoire. 'VLetrmx21' is the most genuinely "ambient" track they did, counting on no rhythm at all, with simple but beautiful waves of synth strings rising and falling, delivering an eternally looping melody. Very surprising track, and also very, very beautiful. It's not <em>news</em>, of course, but its position at the end of the EP is perfect.</p>

<p>Though it might seem a little unfair to rate EP's and LP's on the same basis, this one is getting an 11. If you wish to think of a comparison, you can think of the 80 minutes of 11-worthy music on <strong>Incunabula</strong> and the 40 minutes of 11-worthy music on <strong>Garbage</strong>. But that doesn't mean <strong>Garbage</strong> is half as good as <strong>Incunabula</strong>; far from that. Think that <strong>Garbage</strong> is more compact and concise than <strong>Incunabula</strong>. Though that's not really the truth, either... Oh, heck. Instead, <em>don't</em> compare.</p>  

<p class="ratingHeader">
  Rating:
</p>

<p class="rating">
  <big>Fun factor:  <strong>12/15</strong></big> - There are pretty entertaining bits here, indeed.<br />
  <big>Resonance:   <strong>12/15</strong></big> - It's got a pretty deep sound, but it never truly forces me in, like <strong>Amber</strong> did.<br />
  <big>Originality: <strong>11/15</strong></big> - Um, who knows.<br />
  <big>Richness:    <strong>12/15</strong></big> - The ideas are here. That I can't deny.<br />
  <big>Solidness:   <strong>11/15</strong></big> - It... <em>could</em> have been better, I guess.
</p>

<p class="ratingFinale">
  Total: <img src="images/11.png" alt="11" />
</p>

<p>Any comments? <a href="mailto:sirmustapha@gmail.com">Mail them to me</a>!</p>

<hr />

<h2 id="vapre">Anvil Vapre (1995)</h2>
<p class="medium">
  Best song: <big>Second Bad Vilbel</big>
</p>
<div class="medium">
  Track list:
</div>
<ol class="trackList">
  <li><span class="good">Second Bad Vilbel ++</span></li>
  <li>Second Scepe <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Second Scout</li>
  <li>Second Peng <span class="good">+</span></li>
</ol>

<p>A shorter EP, this time around. And again, it's an EP because it's a "companion" to an LP - in this case, <strong>Tri Repetae</strong>, which was released a month after this one. But it's not quite right to say this album will give you a good glimpse of how the LP is going to be: it has a strange sense of paranoia going behind it, and is quite dark. Less dark than <strong>Amber</strong>, but still carrying a sense of ambiguity. A <em>good</em> sense of ambiguity. And the good news is that the songs in this album are more developed and accomplished than those on <strong>Garbage</strong>. The only song that doesn't rely in melody, curiously enough, is the first one, and my personal favourite. Why? Because of that devious rhythm! <em>And</em> because of the use of brown noise (at least I guess it's brown noise) as a percussion instrument. Damn cool, I say. The machine-like rhythm, followed by ghostly chords creates a hell of an atmosphere, and once again, the sudden slowdown in the middle of the track <em>does</em> make a difference. You see, those two tracks on <strong>Garbage</strong> were reliant on atmosphere, while 'Second Bad Vilbel' is reliant on <em>movement</em>. And like hell does it move. In all directions. At once. Okay, not quite, but it's a heck of a song.</p>

<p>The others don't disappoint at all. The rhythms are sharp, groovy and catchy, and all backed by delicious snippets of melodies and riffs. 'Second Scepe' has a catchy bassline and fragments of a female voice serving as percussion. Awesome groove, too! The bass sound, in fact, reminds me a bit of 'Dael' from the next album, and the addition of the high pitched tinkling notes at the end is a fine, <strong>Amber</strong>ish touch. 'Second Peng' goes for a more 'Teartear' approach, with an ugly synth sound used for the main riff. All the other sounds are pretty airy and echoey, but they accumulate slowly into a dense atmosphere. Hooray for slow building! Isn't it <em>fun</em>? I mean it! 'Second Scout' is the weakest one, but by no means a disappointment. Its slower funky groove and bending bass sound make up a really cool "intermission" between the faster tracks and the final 'Second Peng'.</p>

<p>None of the tracks have the development of 'Garbagemx36', but heck, this is Autechre, and repetition was already commonplace in their music by this time. So learn to deal with it and enjoy it. This is one of their finest EPs, and damn close to a 13. If you like <strong>Tri Repetae</strong>, be sure to try to get it, and vice versa. Though I wonder who would bother getting <strong>Anvil Vapre</strong> <em>before</em> the mandatory <strong>Tri Repetae</strong>. You?</p>

<p class="ratingHeader">
  Rating:
</p>

<p class="rating">
  <big>Fun factor:  <strong>13/15</strong></big> - Yes! Yes! Fun all around.<br />
  <big>Resonance:   <strong>12/15</strong></big> - Who could guess: the music works at the right measure.<br />
  <big>Originality: <strong>12/15</strong></big> - Already getting a grasp of their own uniqueness.<br />
  <big>Richness:    <strong>13/15</strong></big> - More than enough musical content here.<br />
  <big>Solidness:   <strong>12/15</strong></big> - Darn well, as far as EPs are concerned.
</p>

<p class="ratingFinale">
  Total: <img src="images/12.png" alt="12" />
</p>

<p>Any comments? <a href="mailto:sirmustapha@gmail.com">Mail them to me</a>!</p>

<hr />

<h2 id="repetae">Tri Repetae (1995)</h2>
<p class="medium">
  Best song: <big>Rsdio</big>
</p>
<div class="medium">
  Track list:
</div>
<ol class="trackList">
  <li><span class="good">Dael ++</span></li>
  <li>Clipper <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Leterel <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Rotar <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li><span class="good">Stud ++</span></li>
  <li>Eutow <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>C.Pach</li>
  <li>Gnit</li>
  <li>Overand</li>
  <li><span class="good">Rsdio ++</span></li>
</ol>

<p>You should be well aware, by now, that Autechre's songs and albums have titles merely so you have <em>something</em> you can use to refer to them other than using descriptions like "the one with the strings", or "the one with the spinning sounds" or "the fast, eerie one". That's <em>me</em> speculating, of course, but what reason would Booth and Brown have to give their songs <em>meaningful</em> titles? What meanings could you find in music like that, and worse, meanings you could express in song/album titles? Tangerine Dream gave their pieces titles like 'Mysterious Semblance At The Strand Of Nightmares' and 'Origin Of Supernatural Probabilities'. Isn't that, like, the <em>goofiest</em> things ever? With that in mind, you can hardly call titles like 'IV VV IV VV VIII', 'Augmatic Disport', '6IE.CR' and 'Sim Gishel' "goofy". And <strong>Tri Repetae</strong>, well, it's not accurate Latin. I can only guess they wanted something that gave the idea of "three", so "Tri" was a natural choice. But "Repetae"? I can only guess they wanted a word that had "ae" in it, because hey, Autechre is Ae, and you can write that title as <strong>Tri Repet&aelig;</strong> if you wish.</p>

<p>So, with <strong>Tri Repetae</strong>, Autechre shows more change and development. Though this album doesn't really point the way towards which the band would eventually develop. This music is... <em>catchy</em>! As in head-bobbing, toe-tapping catchy electronic music. Instead of eerie, haunting sonic textures, the band here is occupied with creating tunes that invite you to a completely brand new, exciting world. It's <em>very</em> dehumanised, machine-like music, but it's damn friendly at times. It almost sounds like someone devised a computer more reliable than a Macintosh and more popular than an IBM PC and taught it how to make music on its own. And I suppose Autechre had an intention to make the album as "mechanic" as possible, with the "human" factor diminished as much as they could. The result is impressive.</p>

<p>For one, like I said, this stuff is catchy as heck. It's not serious; it's almost humourous at times. It's refined and sophisticated, but still accessible and technically outstanding. It's thoroughly listenable, and thoroughly enjoyable. This is the one Autechre album that I'd recommend to someone who only has a passing interest in electronic music - it's utterly devoid of obnoxious "doof doof" beats, though it is repetitive as hell, and like I said a dozen times already, it's catchy as hell. And it's <em>fun</em>! It's cheery and it's nifty! It's shiny, it has a completely plain cover, and one of its songs is named after a programming language. It's fun for all ages, social classes and creeds. Almost. Seriously, I <em>would</em> definitely recommend this record first to anyone. It's a good introduction to Autechre, and a landmark in electronic music.</p>

<p>So, what's all the big difference between this album <strong>Amber</strong>? The main deal is that it's less serious and ominous. Though there are a few slightly creepy, dark songs like 'Rotar' and 'Overand', it's mostly pretty lighthearted and cheery. It's less repetitive; no, you can't call this Prog Rock, but it's less repetitive in the sense that it depends much less of those mantraic, samey rhythms and synth patterns. For example, if on the two previous albums, you could imagine a couple of percussionists bashing constantly on their instruments to create a pattern that would be repeated all the way through the song, here, it sounds like you have dozens of musicians, each with a different percussion instrument, and each one plays it about once or twice in each bar, and each one has to listen carefully to what the others are playing so that his few percussion hits will fall <em>exactly</em> on the place they should. The result are great waves of carefully interweaved, syncopated rhythm tracks that create an interesting, solid foundation to these catchy electronic tunes - be they slow and menacing, like 'Rotar', or upbeat and friendly like 'Leterel'.</p>

<p>My favourite tracks are concentrated on the first two thirds or so of the album, which contains five tracks ranging from six to nine minutes long. Among these, the one I like the most is the opening track, 'Dael', which is a <em>perfect</em> example to the tricky percussion texture I talked about above - going from the "spinning plops" to the metallic hits to the drum machine, it slowly sets up an incredibly groovy, almost danceable rhythm. And on top of this, they lay those simple synth patterns, each one made of three or four notes, and it goes on a slow crescendo of riffs and rhythm. It really makes a difference from the band's previous material. On a quieter tone, I really like 'Stud', with its mesmerising, looping synth bass melody, which plays over an unbalanced, start-and-stop rhythm, which sounds like the very surface of what they call nowadays "drum 'n' bass", if you allow the poor analogy. It's nine minutes long, and definitely the most monotonous song in the album, but I like it lots. 'Clipper' is the definitive winner in the "groovy rhythm" department, though. I wonder if anyone can actually resist that rhythm, especially when the buzzing bass melody comes by, and 'Leterel' has <em>another</em> groovy rhythm, though slower, and accompanied by weird, airy synth pads which keep alternating between two chords in a brilliant ambiguity; only occasionally it breaks into a more elaborate synth progression, only to fall back into the same thing again. 'Rotar' is brilliantly haunting, with metallic percussion effects and eerie synth notes falling slowly everywhere and noises which sound like rusty gears rubbing against each other. It's a very mechanical song, that one.</p>

<p>After 'Stud', there's a small "intermezzo" with three short (to Autechre's standards) tracks. 'Eutow' is my favourite, starting off pleasantly enough with confused synth lines floating around, until the fast rhythm kicks in with ugly, disfigured synth chords bending up and down everywhere. 'C.Pach' isn't very impressive, compared to the stuff that came before it, but it's short and good enough and does no harm at all. 'Gnit' is more fun, with its strange "shaking" riff, and a flute-like sound playing little melodies over it. 'Overand' comes by as a quiet intermission. It's long, and it's a little bit reminescent of 'Yulquen' with its minimal synth loop (even more minimal and repetitive, this time around), but it's augmented with little tingly effects and a barely audible rhythm behind it. And just as it goes away, 'Rsdio' arrives with its breahtaking mix of odd, breathy, metallic sounds clanging and bumping around into everything. I'm a sucker for the way the "spinning" metallic beats interact with the three note bass loop, and what goes on top sounds somewhat like a weird symphony of air valves hissing like mad. It's slow, hypnotising, and downright brilliant, one of Autechre's finest creations ever.</p>

<p>Autechre fans can't live without this. Electronica fans can't live without this either, I suppose. I'd be hardpressed to say if <em>I</em> couldn't live without it, but I don't even think before agreeing that this is a brilliant record and everyone should own it. There are other Autechre albums that I personally dig more (I even think I enjoy <strong>Amber</strong> slightly better), but this one gets a higher rating for being so clever, creative, original and entertaining. It's an objective thing, see. Sometimes objectivity has to speak louder than subjectivity, so there ya go.<strong>Tri Repetae</strong> was released as <strong>Tri Repetae++</strong> on the US, a double CD with the EP's <strong>Garbage</strong> and <strong>Anvil Vapre</strong> on the second CD. Just for your information.</p>

<p class="ratingHeader">
  Rating:
</p>

<p class="rating">
  <big>Fun factor:  <strong>14/15</strong></big> - Fun? You kidding me?<br />
  <big>Resonance:   <strong>14/15</strong></big> - Much more refined and accomplished than <strong>Amber</strong>.<br />
  <big>Originality: <strong>14/15</strong></big> - Very, very fresh stuff.<br />
  <big>Richness:    <strong>15/15</strong></big> - No doubt about it. It's great from start to finish.<br />
  <big>Solidness:   <strong>14/15</strong></big> - Works amazingly well.
</p>

<p class="ratingFinale">
  Total: <img src="images/14.png" alt="14" />
</p>

<p>Comments? Suggestions? <a href="mailto:sirmustapha@gmail.com">Mail me</a>!</p>

<hr />

<h2 id="envane">Envane (1997)</h2>
<p class="medium">
  Best song: <big>Draun Quarter</big>
</p>
<div class="medium">
  Track list:
</div>
<ol class="trackList">
  <li>Goz Quarter <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Latent Quarter</li>
  <li>Laughing Quarter <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li><span class="good">Draun Quarter++</span></li>
</ol>

<p>EP again, and a good one. In fact, not just a "good" one, but one of my favourites. In fact, I like it so much that I'm kind of divided between awarding it a 13 and giving it a 12 with honours. But then again, in terms of excitement and texture, the record's less <em>dense</em> than <strong>Amber</strong>, so there. What matters is that the EP is, strangely enough, a bit torn between the "aural texture" based music of <strong>Amber</strong> and the intense sonic abuse of their following releases. The outer tracks are the slowest and quieter ones, and the inner tracks are the opposite. Nifty, eh? Whether it's surprising or not, my favourite part of it is the "outer" one, with the quieter songs. Somehow, these are some of the most <em>beautiful</em> tracks Autechre ever put out. For real. And it's not even the inhuman, out-of-this-world beauty we're used to - some parts of it are almost human. Yes, 'Goz Quarter' is still quite mechanic, with a dull percussion track, which sounds like a scratched CD skipping, augmented by percussion effects and melodic bits. Similarly to 'Garbagemx36', it starts off in a different key, with strange synth sounds, before settling on a more comforting, pleasant atmosphere with multiple layers of melody and ambience. The most interesting thing, though, is the use of "turntable scratch" sounds and vocal samples used mostly on the first half. Unusual for Autechre, that.</p>

<p>'Draun Quarter' is what I mean with "human beauty", in which the droning rhythm is almost challenged by the gentle, plaintive synth melodies. As usual, the development through its ten minutes is fabulous, and culminates in about two minutes of percussion-less atmosphere fading. This track would be a definitive inclusion in an "Autechre compilation" if I had to make one. The other two, well, they'd be candidates for inclusion if there was any space left to fill up (which would be rather difficult, I believe). Not just because I don't like noisy Autechre music, but compared to the others, they're weaker. Still good, though! 'Laughing Quarter', in particular, creates a mood that I can only describe as "psychotic" - weird chord progression, ugly synth sound, paranoid rhythms, you got it all. 'Latent Quarter' isn't as cool in that aspect, but its distorted percussion beats form a wicked, <em>danceable</em> groove. It's one of the few Autechre songs at this point that count on a groovy, straight rhythm that doesn't bounce all over the place. That isn't the song's intention, after all.</p>

<p><strong>Envane</strong> isn't really anything spectacular, considering Autechre's best releases, but among their EPs,it might be their most worth having one. It packs up the "soft" and "hard" side of Autechre in a balanced, smooth way. But the other EPs are also recommended, so check them out if <strong>Envane</strong> interests you.</p>

<p class="ratingHeader">
  Rating:
</p>

<p class="rating">
  <big>Fun factor:  <strong>13/15</strong></big> - Highly enjoyable stuff.<br />
  <big>Resonance:   <strong>13/15</strong></big> - Almost as gripping as the stuff on <strong>Tri Repetae</strong>.<br />
  <big>Originality: <strong>12/15</strong></big> - A bit "crossroads", if you get me.<br />
  <big>Richness:    <strong>13/15</strong></big> - Plenty of good musical ideas.<br />
  <big>Solidness:   <strong>12/15</strong></big> - Pretty tight, I say.
</p>

<p class="ratingFinale">
  Total: <img src="images/12.png" alt="12" />
</p>

<p>Any comments? <a href="mailto:sirmustapha@gmail.com">Mail them to me</a>!</p>

<hr />

<h2 id="slide">Chiastic Slide (1997)</h2>
<p class="medium">
  Best song: <big>Cichli</big>
</p>
<div class="medium">
  Track list:
</div>
<ol class="trackList">
  <li><span class="good">Cipater ++</span></li>
  <li>Rettic AC</li>
  <li>Tewe</li>
  <li><span class="good">Cichli ++</span></li>
  <li>Hub <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Calibruc</li>
  <li>Recury</li>
  <li>Pule</li>
  <li>Nuane <span class="good">+</span></li>
</ol>

<p>Allegedly, <strong>Chiastic Slide</strong> isn't considered a "real" follow-up to <strong>Tri Repetae</strong> - by none other than Autechre themselves. I can kinda see that, as <strong>Chiastic Slide</strong> sounds like anything but a continuation of their work - it's like they consciously tore themselves away from the path they were going through and took an unexpected detour. Nothing wrong with <em>that</em>, mind. But the one thing that I can't understand is that some other people consider this as a weak rehash of <strong>Tri Repetae</strong>. How come? This sounds <em>nothing</em>at all like <strong>Tri Repetae</strong>. That album was accessible, friendly, cheery, fun and immediately engaging. This album is... well, definitely their most difficult release so far.</p>

<p>And I mean "difficult" as in "inaccessible for a newcomer". I mean, if <strong>Chiastic Slide</strong> was my introduction to the band, I don't think I'd be so keen on going forwards - and it certainly isn't because the album is too "difficult". It's just... a bit aimless. See, the band seems here intent on doing something complex, as a way to challenge their own limits. But there isn't an overall direction to the music, and the final result falls like "complexity for complexity's sake". Of course, technically, it's highly impressive, and the music <em>is</em> intelligent, well-crafted and provides enough interesting tricks to keep me moderately satisfied. But the finished product fails to leave a concrete, tangible impression. It passes me by a bit - with the notable exception of a few excellent tracks.</p>

<p>There definitely are highlights. 'Cichli' achieves a kind of na&iuml;ve, honest beauty that very few - if any - Autechre songs so far managed to achieve, with its "jumping" melody and plaintive, minor key synth pads. It's really all about that looping melody and the syncopated, carefully sequenced rhythm track, which definitely owes a thing or two to <strong>Tri Repetae</strong> - and if the album were made of more tracks like <em>that</em>, I'd understand why people call it a repetition of its predecessor. But nah, that's the only song of its kind here - honestly melodic and harmonically traditional. Elsewhere, you get 'Cipater', which features a semi-industrialoid rhythm made of a million metallic clanging sounds. Funny that "cipater" is the name of a part of a car, since it brings images of a complex engine-like machine working. It does have little glimpses of melody, especially in the first part, with the 4/4 groove. Halfway through, it switches into an even trickier 6/8 groove with a bass line underneath - a very exciting, refreshing change in the song.</p>

<p>And those are the more "accessible" songs. Everywhere else, the band introduces you to the world of strange, apparently incoherent rhythms, untrivial - sometimes almost inexistent - harmonies and ugly, grating noises. When did <strong>Tri Repetae</strong> present stuff like that? It didn't! If anything, <strong>Chiastic Slide</strong> points the way to their more abstract releases like <strong>Confield</strong> and <strong>Draft 7.30</strong>, but they still didn't have the right <em>chops</em> to do that kind of stuff. An example of that is 'Tewe', which features an unsettling "clanging" chord in each bar, and it built with those fast sequences of percussion sounds rollicking over a much slower rhythm, and almost random notes pinging around. It's quite cool and mesmerising, but they are yet to do <em>much</em> better than that. It's also a bit monotonous, and lacking the <em>vision</em> that the songs from <strong>Amber</strong>and <strong>Tri Repetae</strong> offered, the song doesn't quite stand out on its own. Of course, there are some highlights in that area: I really like 'Hub', with its irregular rhythmic patterns, loose percussion effects and eerie chords. It's <em>very</em> monotonous, but it gives me the feeling of being lost in space. Really! Pretty unique song. And 'Nuane', with its deranged harmonies and odd rhythms, starts out on a rage, shooting percussion and discordant brass-like notes everywhere, until it falls into quiet, eerie loops after the five minute mark or so. That kind of transition would be revisited on 'Sublimit' much later, and it works well here. The strange thing is that, of its thirteen minute length, the final 3 minutes are reserved to a single, irregular, and rather grating noise which is sort of like an old refrigerator engine; just that scraping and nothing more. Could work as a locked groove on a vinyl LP, in fact - no idea if they actually pulled that one out.</p>

<p>The other songs have varying degrees of success. 'Calibruc' is a short, weird onslaught of loud rhythm, siren-like noises and all sorts of unsettling stuff, which oddly dissolve into a sort of melody near the end, and 'Recury' is a <em>very</em> long and <em>very</em> monotonous groove, which is slowly augmented by creepy, wailing noises of sorts. The one song I could live without, sort of, is 'Pule', which reminds me a bit of the looping melody of 'Slip' as well as the clashing, near random half-melodies of 'Nine'. That's because it's made mainly of a weird synth patch playing a "melody" that <em>definitely</em> sounds like it was being randomly generated as it went. I mean, it's difficult for me to believe either Booth or Brown wrote it all by hand, but I wouldn't be surprised if they did. However, the song has little more than that to offer, and with the memories of 'Nine' and 'Slip' in my mind, it can't help but disappoint. Still, in face of all that, I enjoy the album enough - if only because it's witty enough, and does display talent. And its lack of vision is only a "lack of vision" when compared to its predecessors. It's a good, yet inaccessible, album, and I'm glad I have it. I wouldn't part with it, that's for sure - after all, it did give us 'Cichli'.</p>

<p class="ratingHeader">
  Rating:
</p>

<p class="rating">
  <big>Fun factor:  <strong>12/15</strong></big> - A <em>bit</em> underwhelming at times.<br />
  <big>Resonance:   <strong>11/15</strong></big> - They didn't really have the chops yet to make this stuff work well.<br />
  <big>Originality: <strong>12/15</strong></big> - I'm a dunce with this kind of music, of course, but is this really <em>original</em> in the electronica world?<br />
  <big>Richness:    <strong>12/15</strong></big> - The ideas are all there, still.<br />
  <big>Solidness:   <strong>11/15</strong></big> - Could have been a bit better.
</p>

<p class="ratingFinale">
  Total: <img src="images/11.png" alt="11" />
</p>

<p>Wir <a href="mailto:sirmustapha@gmail.com">maihl'n maihl'n maihl'n</a> auf fer Autobahn...</p>

<hr />

<h2 id="cichlisuite">Cichlisuite (1997)</h2>
<p class="medium">
  Best song: <big>Characi</big>
</p>
<div class="medium">
  Track list:
</div>
<ol class="trackList">
  <li>Yeesland <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Pencha <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Characi <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Krib</li>
  <li>Tilapia</li>
</ol>

<p>The title to this release is explained by the fact that these five tracks were, in some way, originated from <strong>Chiastic Slide</strong>'s 'Cichli', even though they sound <em>nothing</em> like it. And also because the title is pronounced like "sickly sweet", so there - another Autechre title with <em>some</em> sense behind the title. The most striking surprise about this EP, in comparison to the others, is how varied it is. The only tracks that sound somewhat alike are the opener and the closer, both based on a very similar rhythm but not much more. Aside from that, the EP manages to make a sensible, seamless stylistic link between <strong>Tri Repetae</strong>, <strong>Chiastic Slide</strong> and <strong>LP5</strong>, which is really welcome at this point in their carreer.</p>

<p>Allow me to explain. Once you pass by the eighteen seconds of the scratched CD "chip chip chip chip" effect of 'Yeesland' (somewhat like the intro of 'Goz Quarter' sped up), the track starts to reminisce you of <strong>Tri Repetae</strong>, with an upbeat, mechanical, multilayered and joyful rhythm and delicately complex synth work beneath it. "Whoa! Autechre are turning accessible again!" you think, amazed. And indeed, it's a pretty, enjoyable song that still manages to keep that groovy ambivalence that Autechre can create so well, with its slightly ominous pads. And the spinning, creaking, scratching and whistling mechanical noises are really put to a sort of dance here, instead of the maniacal spinning of <strong>Chiastic Slide</strong>. Just as you start getting into the groove, 'Pencha' arrives and whacks you in the head with dissonant synth plucking and percussion that bashes against the slow, pounding rhythm at lightning speed. It takes a little while to mount, of course, but the song is a bit of a crossover between 'Tewe' and the next album's 'Arch Carrier', and it isn't such a stretch to see traces of <strong>Confield</strong> in it - except that there is <em>sense</em> in the rhythm. It stays tight - just hyperactive - and sketches of riffs are present in it too. Nonetheless, a big change from 'Yeesland' it is.</p>

<p>Without a clue of how the next song is going to be, you're not surprised to realise that 'Characi' is a lengthy (lengthiest track here, at seven minutes), mantraic, repetitive and awfully mesmerising track that stands out from most "repetitive" songs Autechre did to this point for having a much trickier rhythm, an understated and hypnotising riff and all sorts of cool sounds swirling all around it, slowly mounting the mood but never falling in unexciting repetition. It's my favourite in the album, though it doesn't really overshadows the other tracks. It's just one more excellent Autechre piece, and I'd gladly put it in a compilation if I ever make one. Well, so that leaves two tracks: 'Tilapia', a throwback to 'Yeesland' which still entertains me with moody synth chords, little melodies and an eerie ending, and perhaps the most unusual track here, the three minute slow, relaxed groove of 'Krib'. This might be the only Autechre song that is <em>truly</em> gentle and soothing with little or no ambiguity at all. It's groovy and nice, and still manages not to fall in pitfals of "chill out" music and such. Not that I know much of that kind of music anyway, but I like 'Krib', and every other track here as well. It's a pretty excellent release, and its short length (at last! An EP-length EP!) is in fact an asset, showing Autechre weren't willing to fall into dumb roboticness. One of their best EP's, and recommended to anyone with a moderate interest.</p>

<p class="ratingHeader">
  Rating:
</p>

<p class="rating">
  <big>Fun factor:  <strong>13/15</strong></big> - Sure as hell this is entertaining!<br />
  <big>Resonance:   <strong>11/15</strong></big> - Perhaps a bit distant, this time around.<br />
  <big>Originality: <strong>12/15</strong></big> - There's little <em>new</em> stuff here, but a lot of fresh stuff.<br />
  <big>Richness:    <strong>13/15</strong></big> - All tracks are well written and well crafted. All of them!<br />
  <big>Solidness:   <strong>13/15</strong></big> - Surprisingly tight, this is!
</p>

<p class="ratingFinale">
  Total: <img src="images/12.png" alt="12" />
</p>

<p>Any comments? <a href="mailto:sirmustapha@gmail.com">Mail them to me</a>!</p>

<hr />

<h2 id="lp5">LP5 (1998)</h2>
<p class="medium">
  Best song: <big>Fold4,Wrap5</big>
</p>
<div class="medium">
  Track list:
</div>
<ol class="trackList">
  <li>Acroyear2 <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>777 <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Rae <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Melve</li>
  <li>Vose In</li>
  <li><span class="good">Fold4,Wrap5 ++</span></li>
  <li>Under BOAC <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Corc <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Caliper Remote</li>
  <li>Arch Carrier</li>
  <li><span class="good">Drane2 ++</span></li>
</ol>

<p>As <strong>Chiastic Slide</strong> is generally considered as a "non sucessor" to <strong>Tri Repetae</strong>, you'd think that THIS is a "return to form" of sorts. And, well, in a way, it might be. To be less cryptic, I might even say that, if you swapped <strong>LP5</strong> and <strong>Chiastic Slide</strong> in their chronological sequence, you'd have a more coherent transition from the "early carreer" to their "latter carreer", with those two albums in question forming the bridge. But since things are rarely coherent, <strong>LP5</strong> stands as both an advance and a stepback - not a step<em>down</em> in terms of quality, but just a recapitulation of their more accessible, less daring style. And an advancement because it <em>does</em> spice up the formula with trickier, nastier twists and musical ideas.</p>

<p>If you're really willing to do so, you can visualise this album as somewhat divided between the more pleasant tracks and the more adventurous tracks. For reviewing the album, that can be useful, but for <em>listening</em> to it, there's no point. Fact is that this might very well be Autechre's defining "transitional album", though you can't immediately tell what's in store for the next album, judging only by it. There are multiple possibilities, and as it turned out, Autechre chose the boldest path - but that's forwarding too much. Fact is, I enjoy this album quite a bit. Quite a lot. Quite a bunch. I don't care. I enjoy it enough to make it worth having.</p>

<p>For one, there <em>is</em> pretty fresh music here. Nothing I feel comfortable calling <em>innovative</em>, but it does have 'Fold4,Wrap5', an ingenious track which makes use of an incredibly clever rhythmic trick, yelding a pleasant, beautiful and evocative song. The main idea is that the rhythm section is sequenced in such a way that its tempo <em>constantly decreases</em>, getting locked in a sort of tempo loop. But instead of throwing hundreds of rhythmic layers and buzzing synths coming from all sides, the song just gently swings you through a beautiful sonic landscape, made with the simplest synth layers one could make for a track like this. At four minutes, it's relatively short, but it goes straight to the point and does its business well. It's an extraordinary track, and even if someone tells me the rhythm trick was already done in the past, I'll still like it that much. As for the hundreds of rhythmic layers, they save that for other tracks.</p>

<p>For example, the opener 'Acroyear2' kicks in at warp speed, with what I imagine as a musical interpretation of a deranged, pissed off machine, buzzing, beating, blasting and beeping like a madman. The result is not "scary"; it's quite goofy, in fact, and it's dynamic and fun, and the beeping, whining synth notes give it a vague, ambiguous hint of melody. '777' kicks in, then, and wipes the melody almost completely away. It's one of the few occasions, at this early period, in which Autechre makes use of an odd time signature (as indicated by the song title). The focus is entirely on the rhythm, as it bounces and grooves in all directions. Quite an impressive achievement, and though some people might not be too interested in it, I'm entertained. Yes, the catchy synth riffs are lacking, but hey, we can't demand Autechre to stay always the same, can we? 'Under BOAC' goes back to the straight 4/4, but conjures an even more impressive, syncopated, quasi-industrial symphony of metallic clanging and banging sounds. By this time, I don't even care about the lack of catchy synth melodies (though there's a bit of a riff at the beginning); the rhythm is brilliant enough for me.</p>

<p>The more melodic tracks sacrifice the "experimentality" of the other tracks, but I like that, because it sets a balance in the album. Just as you have the wild '777', you're greeted with the lengthy, but pleasant 'Rae'. Technically, it's not very new, and may even be nothing but a generic electronic excourse, but it works wonders in the context of the album - not to mention that it's rare to see such a tranquil, easy-going and nice song from Autechre. Traditional beauty, you say? Well, to counter that, they have 'Vose In', which gets itself stuck in an endless loop with pusating chords. To me, it isn't really very interesting, and sounds more like an extended introduction to 'Fold4,Wrap5', including the surge of seemingly random, mechanical noise at the end. 'Arch Carrier' settles a steady, droning base for strange, atonal synth arpeggios which just constantly keep hitting you on the head like a goddamn hammer. 'Corc' goes for a quieter, gentler approach, with a slow, sparse rhythm and eerie synth tunes. Quite a difference from 'Under BOAC', I assure you.</p>

<p>The closer, 'Drane2', comes as a bit of a surprise. It's also a long closer, at ten minutes, and it's a gentle, soothing, pleasant soundscape of synth pads and "bouncing" percussion effects making the only glimpses of rhythm in the track. It's lengthy, yes, but I don't mind the length at all. It's a beautiful track, and for the really obsessed, there's about a minute and a half of "bonus" at the end of the song, after a portion of silence, which is made up of strange, tuneless synthesized sounds. For what reason? Who knows. What matters is the album itself, and it's a good one.It's up to par, though compared to better albums like <strong>Amber</strong> and <strong>Tri Repetae</strong>, it might be disappointing. Still, maybe it's an interesting introduction to the band, since it shows both a bit of what Autechre used to be, and a bit of what they were yet to be.</p>

<p class="ratingHeader">
  Rating:
</p>

<p class="rating">
  <big>Fun factor:  <strong>13/15</strong></big> - Very enjoyable, that's for sure!<br />
  <big>Resonance:   <strong>12/15</strong></big> - More detailed textures? You betcha!<br />
  <big>Originality: <strong>12/15</strong></big> - Still a bit tough for me to say.<br />
  <big>Richness:    <strong>13/15</strong></big> - All songs got enough musical ideas to stand on their own - some even more than that, like 'Fold4,Wrap5'.<br />
  <big>Solidness:   <strong>13/15</strong></big> - Highly satisfying, in the end, though not overwhelming.
</p>

<p class="ratingFinale">
  Total: <img src="images/12.png" alt="12" />
</p>

<p>Comments? Ideas? <a href="mailto:sirmustapha@gmail.com">Send me your mail</a>!</p>

<hr />

<h2 id="session1">Peel Session (1999)</h2>
<p class="medium">
  Best song: <big>Milk DX</big>
</p>
<div class="medium">
  Track list:
</div>
<ol class="trackList">
  <li>Milk DX <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Inhake</li>
  <li>Drane <span class="good">+</span></li>
</ol>

<p>Another EP. These guys don't get tired of 'em, eh? Well, this time, these are recordings from four years before their release, made especially for John Peel's radio programme. So, yes, they date back from the <strong>Tri Repetae</strong> years, and the style captures is very much between <strong>Tri Repetae</strong> and <strong>LP5</strong>, though also showing a tad of what <strong>Chiastic Slide</strong> represents - that is, the least readily accessible, more experimental vein. And it's a very good release. The three tracks are very good, and each one in its own style. For a three track EP, it's pretty varied, I say. But then again, it is a three track EP, and there isn't really a lot of unity in it that would make releases like <strong>Gantz Graf</strong> so essential and representative. But that doesn't matter. This is yet another case of a nice, small, compact release for people who don't want to have an Autechre overkill.</p>

<p>For one, you can see that there's the "experimental" 'Milk DX', the accessible, danceable 'Inhake' and the, well, 'Drane', which <em>is</em> very dronelike, though doesn't sound <em>very</em> similar to 'Drane2', released on <strong>LP5</strong>. I can see the links between them, for example, the odd rhythm; here, they use an odd meter and a "collapsing" percussion pattern, but the music is far more monotonous and saturated than on 'Drane2'. What you have here is a very heavy, constant chord, only violated by strange, "spinning" effects, and aside from that, you have equally heavy, dark notes falling around it. And it's long, too, a little less than eleven minutes. And it's really evocative, and doesn't become tired, because there's enough momentum being built and some tension mounting breaks along the way, too. Autechre aren't dumb, are they?</p>

<p>My favourite is 'Milk DX', which is just a fabulous combination of really disorienting, strange patterns, put together in a way that doesn't make it sound obvious or trite. It's 4/4, but syncopated as hell, with different percussion patterns and loops fitting into each other, and dizzy, waving synth lines giving it a wavy, oceanic surface kind of feel. 'Inhake', for me, is the weakest, but not necessarily because it is the "danceable" tune. It's weaker than some songs Autechre released in the past, but it's still catchy and groovy. It's fully enjoyable, and in the context of the EP, is a nice, maybe even necessary, addition. As a three-track, twenty-five-minute-long EP, this doesn't feel like <strong>Anti</strong> in the sense that it could result in a great LP if expanded and built upon. It feels quite complete and cohesive as it is, and you can treat it as a "glimpse" of the band's sound back then, or as a "redux" of what they were capable of doing. Oh, well, its relatively low rating is justified by the fact that it <em>is</em> an EP, enjoyable, but not really essential. Still a great one.</p>

<p class="ratingHeader">
  Rating:
</p>

<p class="rating">
  <big>Fun factor:  <strong>12/15</strong></big> - Yup, enjoyable, all the way through.<br />
  <big>Resonance:   <strong>11/15</strong></big> - They didn't have the intent on creating a single, evocative experience with it, but... well, the songs work.<br />
  <big>Originality: <strong>13/15</strong></big> - Surely fresh stuff, reminding you that this dates back to 1995.<br />
  <big>Richness:    <strong>12/15</strong></big> - Solid tracks, that's for sure.<br />
  <big>Solidness:   <strong>10/15</strong></big> - It's... short, you know.
</p>

<p class="ratingFinale">
  Total: <img src="images/11.png" alt="11" />
</p>

<p>Any comments? <a href="mailto:sirmustapha@gmail.com">Mail them to me</a>!</p>

<hr />

<h2 id="ep7">EP7 (1999)</h2>
<p class="medium">
  Best song: <big>Outpt</big>
</p>
<div class="medium">
  Track list:
</div>
<ol class="trackList">
  <li>Rpeg <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Ccec <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Squeller <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Left Blank</li>
  <li>Outpt <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Dropp <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Liccflii</li>
  <li>Maphive 6.1  <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Zeiss Contarex</li>
  <li>Netlon Sentinel</li>
  <li>Pir</li>
</ol>

<p>Another EP? With <em>eleven</em> tracks? Well, actually, this is more like <em>two</em> EPs, <strong>EP7.1</strong> and <strong>EP7.2</strong>, released separately on vinyl but together on CD. And even though, yes, they are two different EPs, they are inevitably and intentionally "linked" together, so there's no point in reviewing them separately. Make this a "double EP", and we're all fine and dandy, I suppose. If you're willing to take this as an LP, though, I guess it's okay as well - the only problem will be that the title won't make sense.</p>

<p>Anyway, this is an stylistic departure from <strong>LP5</strong>, but not in the sense that <strong>Chiastic Slide</strong> was a departure from <strong>Tri Repetae</strong>. Here, it sounds like they took certain elements and tendencies from the previous album and built over them, leaving other elements aside, or putting them on more restricted, diminished roles. So, it is an extension of what they were doing. It's more like an evolution, or a "reaching out" towards a more specific goal. And the style used in this release is nothing "new" by Autechre's standards,but it certainly was never this developed. Instead of writing "compositions", as they used to do, they're more like doing "sound construction" - these tracks are more like architectural works, in which the duo sets the main idea, and let the songs unfold all by themselves. Somewhat like what happened in tracks like '777', and unlike songs like 'Acroyear2' and 'Under BOAC', where it was possible to see that there <em>were</em> human - or robotic - hands controlling and directing the flow of the music. You could head the riffs and the half-melodies, and see that they were leading the music towards slight changes and crescendos. Here, there's little - if any - melody, so the tracks sounds like they're all on their own, filled with percussion, atonal synth tones and staccatos, running free and lose all the way. Oh, yes, the music got "uglier" in that sense, less penetrable and accessible. And it does sound more focused than on <strong>Chiastic Slide</strong> - the music sounds like it knows what it's doing.</p>

<p>Tracks like 'Squeller', 'Left Blank', 'Liccflii' and 'Netlon Sentinel' are filled with those rushing percussion rolls, metalic clangs and twists, and sequences of notes that wrap and twist around themselves. "Oh my God, it all sounds the same," I hear someone say. Well, yes, less patient and caring ears won't notice drastic differences in those tracks. They <em>are</em> similar, stylistically, and the main differences are in sound. For example, 'Left Blank' has more airy, dark, windy sounds used in its first half, while 'Liccflii' is more dry and solid sounding. But this is one case in which you ought to listen to the tracks a lot of times before you need to actually hear bits of them and say "oh, yes, this is the one that goes like THAT", or "oh, yes, THIS is the song I'm thinking of". Not that such thing never happened before with Autechre, but here, it almost sounds like a feature.</p>

<p>But yes, if you ignore things like distinctions between sounds and all, you <em>will</em> have a really cohesive, interesting musical journey. The music is very machine-like, even on the more "different" songs. The release lacks truly <em>stand-out</em> tracks, in my opinion (as in 'Fold4,Wrap5' or 'Cichli', that is), but the material here is pretty consistent. And there are some attention-grabbers, like 'Outpt', which with a single one-measure percussion loop and repetitive chord changes achieves a very mesmerising, captivating effect. The chords just go on, but are affected by a compression effect along with the drums, giving it a "pulsating" sound, and as they go, the sound like they're disintegrating, or being dissolved in liquid, or twisting around themselves, or something. So there is a sort of static movement, and it really makes the song work. 'Rpeg' is one of the few that has something of a melody, done in the likes of 'Nine', with notes just running up and down a certain scale; except here, the rhythm is groovy and danceable, and the synth notes "tremble". Other melodic pieces appear along the way, like the pleasant 'Dropp' and the mysterious 'Pir', but they're so short, they even sound like transitional pieces. On the other hand, 'Ccec' adds a heavily processed voice to the sound texture (the title is pronounced "seasick", in reference to the vocal effect), giving a very distinct, pecular spice to an otherwise moody, regular Autechre piece.</p>

<p>The longest track here, 'Maphive 6.1', is also one of the oddest Autechre tracks, since it employs the usual percussive techniques in "real instrument" samples. So, you have an intro with bombastic tympani and synthetic strings replacing what would usually be some pad sound and electronic beats. And later on, the music is laden with vibraphones and bending, stuttering piano notes, not to mention a plucked contrabass. Could you ever guess? A <em>jazzy</em> Autechre song? Obviously the electronic noises aren't at all gone, but they're rather diminished, in comparison to the samples. This is one of my favourites here, if only because it's so unusual. And 'Zeiss Contarex', which follows it, is a heck of a dark, eerie, slowly moving and building thing, going around like it's crawling across the floor. Slow and plodding, and littered with noisy synth sounds, of course. Quite great. Yes, some songs <em>are</em> relative highlights, but the point of the album isn't to boast highlights, anyway! It's a very tight, cohesive release, and certainly one of the most interesting items on Autechre's catalog. The rating is another boring 12, but hey, if I were to make a special rating system for Autechre, it'd have to have about 100 possible ratings. So yes, this is a bit better than <strong>LP5</strong>, on par with <strong>Envane</strong>... or something. I don't even know well.</p>

<p class="ratingHeader">
  Rating:
</p>

<p class="rating">
  <big>Fun factor:  <strong>13/15</strong></big> - Great stuff, as usual. Just a bit crazier than you might have been used to.<br />
  <big>Resonance:   <strong>11/15</strong></big> - How to measure this? It's not <strong>Amber</strong>, not even <strong>Tri Repetae</strong>, in this aspect. It's... different.<br />
  <big>Originality: <strong>13/15</strong></big> - Always going up and fowards, steadily.<br />
  <big>Richness:    <strong>13/15</strong></big> - Aside from a little monotony, nothing to complain about.<br />
  <big>Solidness:   <strong>13/15</strong></big> - There's a nice amount of variety going on, and the album doesn't get tiresome.
</p>

<p class="ratingFinale">
  Total: <img src="images/12.png" alt="12" />
</p>

<p>Any comments? <a href="mailto:sirmustapha@gmail.com">Mail them to me</a>!</p>

<hr />

<h2 id="session2">Peel Session 2 (2001)</h2>
<p class="medium">
  Best song: <big>Gelk</big>
</p>
<div class="medium">
  Track list:
</div>
<ol class="trackList">
  <li>Gelk <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Blifil</li>
  <li>Gaekwad</li>
  <li>19 Headaches</li>
</ol>

<p>Once again, this EP was recorded for John Peel, though this time, from 1999. And the style is still in the current of <strong>EP7</strong>, though considerably more adventurous. And interesting to note is that the tracks were titled by John Peel himself - Autechre just handed the tracks to him without titles. It's a bit of a shame, because it would be fun if Autechre titled their own song as '19 Headaches'.</p>

<p>Anyway, some songs <em>are</em> stylistically linked to <strong>EP7</strong>, though they are still different. No such thing as "more of the same" here... well, a bit, yes. For example, 'Blifil' brings back yet again those busy, convolted rhythms and metalic synth notes and buzzing tones and all that stuff. The only difference is that the rhythm is far tighter and busier than in songs like 'Left Blank' and 'Liccflii', and interesting is that this is pretty much the <em>exact</em> rhythm that the duo would so viciously deconstruct in their following releases - except here, you have all those sketches of riffs and "melodies" scattered all over the place, to catch your attention. And the rhythm is aggressive and unrelentful, so unless you really can't stand it, you'll have to give in and let it take you over. Ooh, cheesy!</p>

<p>The rest of the songs are just plainly strange. There's a certain, I dunno, eerieness to them that's quite different from the <strong>EP7</strong> mood. The most unsettling example, I believe, is the opening track, 'Gelk'. It starts off as a quite pleasant, groovy tune, with a tasty melody and all, and goes on like that until about halfway through. And then, the whole thing is completely turned upside the head. The melody goes away and is replaced by dissonant, loose metallic sounds, and the rhythm becomes slow and plodding. I mean, the last part of the song does set the tone for the whole album, but the way it starts and the strange transition do look really mischievous, you know, almost as a dirty trick on the least aware. The other two songs are just odd, really, and don't try to pull your leg. Of course, 'Gaekwad'changes constantly, seeming never happy to stick to only one rhythm, going from Squarepusher-esque "drum 'n' bass" fast to slow and pumping, of course, passing through the usual disconnected, fragmented patterns. '19 Headaches' is very aptly titled, for it might be the most atonal song Autechre ever pulled out this far. The notes and rhythm are very sparse, and those strange, pinging notes keep shooting at you from all directions, often going up in circles of fourths or down diminished chords and whatnot. This is <em>far</em> from the music Autechre would start doing on the next album,so it's "headachy" in a different way, you see. So, this is, in a way, already a departure of the Autechre of the past. I like this more than the first Peel Sessions EP, mostly because of the more interesting musical style. It gets another boring 12, though, which must have already lost its meaning with so many EPs in a single page. Oh, well.</p>

<p class="ratingHeader">
  Rating:
</p>

<p class="rating">
  <big>Fun factor:  <strong>12/15</strong></big> - Really good, creative music, here.<br />
  <big>Resonance:   <strong>11/15</strong></big> - It's still that cerebral, mechanical thing. Good, though.<br />
  <big>Originality: <strong>13/15</strong></big> - There's quite a lot of freshness here, though nothing here indicates actual <em>progress</em>.<br />
  <big>Richness:    <strong>13/15</strong></big> - Musical content and value and all that stuff. Yep, it's here.<br />
  <big>Solidness:   <strong>12/15</strong></big> - Short, not too varied EP.
</p>

<p class="ratingFinale">
  Total: <img src="images/12.png" alt="12" />
</p>

<p>Any comments? <a href="mailto:sirmustapha@gmail.com">Mail them to me</a>!</p>

<hr />

<h2 id="confield">Confield (2001)</h2>
<p class="medium">
  Best song: <big>VI Scose Poise</big>
</p>
<div class="medium">
  Track list:
</div>
<ol class="trackList">
  <li><span class="good">VI Scose Poise ++</span></li>
  <li>Cfern <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li><span class="good">Pen Expers ++</span></li>
  <li>Sim Gishel</li>
  <li>Parhelic Triangle</li>
  <li>Bine</li>
  <li>Eidetic Casein</li>
  <li>Uviol <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li><span class="good">Lentic Catachresis ++</span></li>
</ol>

<p>Sissies, turn your back <em>now</em>. I'm not the most able person to say exactly what were the real intentions behind the making of this album, but I could think of it as Autechre truly separating the loyal fans from the wannabes. It seems the IDM definition still fits for the record, but by golly, I <em>can't</em> imagine how one would dance to this stuff - I'm not saying you CAN'T dance to it, but just that I can't imagine how, and even considering that <strong>Tri Repetae</strong> and <strong>LP5</strong> have potentially danceable songs.</p>

<p>I mean, once and for all, Autechre have crossed the barrier. And when they only showed signs of adventurousness on the previous album, with <strong>Confield</strong>, they go berserk. On here, there's absolutely no worry in putting "catchy" riffs in the tracks to make them memorable, or trying to make beautiful soundscapes. From now on, the band is only worried in delivering the visions they wanted to deliver, be them ugly as hell, scary, menacing, or beautiful in their own wicked ways. And with such abstract music, who the hell knows what it <em>supposed</em> to be beautiful and what isn't? This is another of those highly subjective matters, I suppose. What's not subjective is that I'll give in to my inner snob and proclaim the <em>honest</em> enjoyment I get from this album. I really do like it.</p>

<p>No, it's not one of the best Autechre releases ever. It may not be innovative, it may not be really <em>all that</em>avantgarde as some people make it look like, but I don't care. For what it is - an abstract electronic album - it's pretty excellent. <em>Of course</em> it's not for everyone. Newcomers might get a feeling from this album, at least on first listens, similar to the feeling of driving down the highway on the opposite lane; everthing feels <em>wrong</em>. But not just wrong, as if someone was sabotaging the music: <em>purposefully</em> wrong. It can be viewed as an artistic expression of incorrectness. But not chaos. The album isn't chaotic. Ok, some parts of the album do sound chaotic, but in most of the time, Autechre is in full control of what's going on - or, at the very least, there's a certain inner logic to it all. The songs never really betray themselves, collapsing into noise for noise's sake; all the noise produced here has a certain point, and even though it does sound like the tracks utterly fall apart within minutes, it's more like they're taking all the planned detours after the main theme is settled. Or maybe not. Who the hell cares?</p>

<p>Say, the album isn't really as samey as you might imagine. Some songs here have utterly <em>ugly</em> sounds spread through it, like 'Eidetic Casein', while others do seem to achieve some sort of strange, foreboding beauty to it, like 'Parhelic Triangle' and 'Uviol'. Some songs go completely against the known notions of rhythm and structure, like 'VI Scose Poise' and 'Lentic Catachresis', while others have a fully stable, coherent rhythm, like 'Sim Gishel'. All in all,there's a certain diversity of incorrectness in the album. There isn't any formula here, and you can't think of two songs as being the same thing. Each one is pretty unique, and as far as uniqueness goes, there's a couple of gems here. 'VI Scose Poise', for example, is a precious thing. Somehow, the rhythm and the harmonic content of the song are supplied by a strange sound that's reminiscent of water dripping on a metallic plate, processed by some kind of ring modulator. But it isn't your usual "drip, drip, drip".This goes more like "drip, drip-a-drip-a-drippity-drip rrrrrrrrrr crash wham bam slam, d-d-d-d-d-d-drip-DRIP-<em>DRIP, MOTHERFUCKER, AAAAAAARGH</em>" , and I don't know how to explain it anymore. The tempo, if there is one, fluctuates like mad, and the song is mercilessly deconstructed and constructed again in all sorts of ways, and before you realise it, the song is made <em>entirely</em> of the dripping sound until the two minute mark, when a little four note motif is introduced. From then on, the occasional electric piano breaks in with its motifs, but the dripping is still on the spotlight. And it works fantastically! I can't explain it - the song is brilliant, and it's one fine example of how many different, unusual kinds of beauty there can be.</p>

<p>From the second track on, the complexity of the tracks is drastically increased. 'Cfern' breaks in with an oddly <em>jazzy</em> rhythm and vibraphones. Of course, it's electronic jazz made with distorted percussion sounds and all sorts of odd, rhythmic twists and unsettling sounds. Yet, it's relatively tame, for it's rudely interrupted by 'Pen Expers', another track I'm highly fond of. In here, the rhythm takes over completely, in the shape of a drastically distorted hip-hop-from-hell drum sound that launches into a fast, funky rhythm which collapses into the usual deconstruction within few minutes. Oh, yes, the track isn't entirely devoid of harmony, as you'll find out when the strange organ chords join in later on. Of course, the loud, stuttering, spinning drums drown it completely, but it's still there. Just in the last minute it goes away, and by then, even the rhythm itself goes away, leaving just the drums coughing and stuttering in all directions. And do I ever like it.</p>

<p>The album goes into a less hyperactive stretch with the next three tracks: both 'Sim Gishel' and 'Parhelic Triangle' are based on looping, quiet rhythms with eerie sound effects built in. But none of them escape Autechre's visceral deconstructions, both of them drowning in their own eerieness after about five minutes. I like the latter more, with its resonating bell-like sounds, though both are very good. 'Bine' is a shorter, more random track. There's basically no coherence in the track, making it the most "chaotic" here. Of course, there might be as much coherence in it as in the other tracks, and it's just not apparent. But that's up to you. To tell you the truth, the album does become quite straightorwardly gloomy from track 4 on. It's like the lights go out completely on you, and you're just left there, wondering what these guys are doing next. But they never really go truly <em>radical</em> in here, as some of your worst expectations might tell. The only thing that's truly "radical" here, in my opinion, is 'Lentic Catachresis', which opens with a menacing ensemble of warped synthesizers and a plodding rhythm. At a given time, the tempo starts fluctuating like mad, and before you realise it, the song has turned into a hellish symphony of synths bubbling, cracking, hissing, fuming, breaking, creaking, scratching and scraping. And it goes on <em>exactly the same way for five minutes</em>. It sounds like the desperate struggle of a machine caught in a deadly trap.</p>

<p>'Eidetic Casein' and 'Uviol' aren't so drastic. The former, as I already have mentioned, has ugly synths everywhere, as well as a menacing, plodding rhythm and an overall disturbing atmosphere. 'Uviol' is really great, opting for a subtle, but probably twice as scary atmosphere with quiet, ominous, dark sounds engulfing you. Pretty brilliant and evocative, that one, especially as the sounds grow scarier as it goes, and the rhythmic pinging sound goes on at the same constant rate all the way through. Who would tell? There <em>is</em> atmosphere in here. You just gotta open your mind a bit. Heh heh, oh well, I'm giving it a good rating, and that's my own problem. I <em>do</em> enjoy it all that, and Autechre would get even better at this stuff. Just read on.</p>

<p class="ratingHeader">
  Rating:
</p>

<p class="rating">
  <big>Fun factor:  <strong>13/15</strong></big> - Yes, I <em>do</em> mean fun.<br />
  <big>Resonance:   <strong>12/15</strong></big> - A very strong 12. Heck, this stuff <em>does</em> mess with my mind.<br />
  <big>Originality: <strong>13/15</strong></big> - How can I tell? I won't say that NOBODY ever did this kind of music before.<br />
  <big>Richness:    <strong>13/15</strong></big> - Good music aplenty.<br />
  <big>Solidness:   <strong>12/15</strong></big> - It does grow over the top at times, a bit.
</p>

<p class="ratingFinale">
  Total: <img src="images/12.png" alt="12" />
</p>

<p>Even the greatest stars... <a href="mailto:sirmustapha@gmail.com">send their mail</a> in the looking glass...</p>

<hr />

<h2 id="graf">Gantz Graf (2002)</h2>
<p class="medium">
  Best song: <big>Gantz Graf</big>
</p>
<div class="medium">
  Track list:
</div>
<ol class="trackList">
  <li><span class="good">Gantz Graf ++</span></li>
  <li>Dial <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Cap.IV <span class="good">+</span></li>
</ol>

<p>Thought <strong>Confield</strong> was foreboding enough? Check this out, then! With three songs and less than twenty minutes long, <strong>Gantz Graf</strong> is one of Autechre's most manic releases ever. They're up to no joke here, anymore. They're already deep into the kind of abstract, nightmarish music displayed on <strong>Confield</strong>, and this EP almost sounds like they wanted to get rid of their most wicked, unforgiving ideas before going into more "well thought out" music with their subsequent albums. Well, I do like my Autechre well thought out, but this EP certainly gives us a bunch of pearls, like the title track. In but four minutes, the song packs more energy and layers that half of <strong>Confield</strong>. I'm serious! Not only 'Gantz Graf' is simply <em>sick</em> in the way it's detailed down to the millisecond, but it's Autechre at their most visual, and it's no surprise that Alex Rutterford would make a CGI video to the song. And the video is so brilliant that it's permanently linked to the music to me. After all, just like the music, the "object" in the video spins, pulsates, twists itself around, extends, expands, contracts and explodes into nothingness, and the result is breathtaking. Of course, it's also Autechre at their least melodic and least welcoming, but hell do I like this piece.</p>

<p>The other two tracks take it easier. 'Dial' assembles a syncopated 4/4 rhythm and little blurches of scary, ascending notes that almost make the song a worthy soundtrack for a scary movie. It just keeps stomping and rising towards you, until it turns into the nine minute long 'Cap.IV'. The rhythm keeps on, but more toned down, and spiced with those mechanical percussion effects we all love so dearly. The surprising bit is that they come up with an actually melodic chord sequence, removing the song from "cacophonic nonsense" and making something of a "mood piece" with it. But then, halfway through, the melody gets stuck between two minor key chords, and the percussion effects steal the spotlight away and start to create a dense, unbelievable wall of noise which quickly grows out of control and spins itself around faster, faster and faster until it can't stand up any longer. Seriously, the intensity of the percussion noise here puts 'Lentic Catachresis' to shame, even though the sounds are squeakier and thinner. But woo, what an exciting ride this is. The rising tempo is pretty much a defining moment in Autechre's carreer.</p>

<p>One who's scared to hell by this album can have the consolation that Autechre's next albums aren't as <em>insane</em> as this. <strong>Gantz Graf</strong> is almost psychotic in its essence, and heck, <em>I like</em> that psychosis. So much, in fact, that the 20 minutes of music in this release deserve a 13 from me. There isn't a single bit of music here that works against the EP's purpose. It all works extraordinarily well. Colour me impressed.</p>

<p class="ratingHeader">
  Rating:
</p>

<p class="rating">
  <big>Fun factor:  <strong>14/15</strong></big> - Whoa, yes! I like this stuff!<br />
  <big>Resonance:   <strong>13/15</strong></big> - Of course, it <em>demands</em> a certain state of mind.<br />
  <big>Originality: <strong>13/15</strong></big> - Very creative music, as far as avantgarde electronica (???) is concerned.<br />
  <big>Richness:    <strong>14/15</strong></big> - Ridiculosly well crafted stuff!<br />
  <big>Solidness:   <strong>14/15</strong></big> - Not a single wasted note in the EP.
</p>

<p class="ratingFinale">
  Total: <img src="images/13.png" alt="13" />
</p>

<p>Any comments? <a href="mailto:sirmustapha@gmail.com">Mail them to me</a>!</p>

<hr />

<h2 id="draft730">Draft 7.30 (2003)</h2>
<p class="medium">
  Best song: <big>Surripere</big>
</p>
<div class="medium">
  Track list:
</div>
<ol class="trackList">
  <li><span class="good">Xylin Room ++</span></li>
  <li>IV VV IV VV VIII <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li><span class="good">6ie.cr ++</span></li>
  <li>Tapr <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li><span class="good">Surripere ++</span></li>
  <li>Theme Of Sudden Roundabout <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Vl Al 5</li>
  <li>P.:Ntil <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>V-Proc <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Reniform Puls <span class="good">+</span></li>
</ol>

<p>Yes, I consider this better. Not a <em>whole world</em> better, but still better. Yes, the music is still abstract, immediately confusing and disturbing, but the focus has changed a bit. Instead of making the tracks incoherent, self-destructive and overall disorienting, <strong>Draft 7.30</strong> is formed by a vast array of strangely visceral sounds, that somehow sound like a perfect cross between a psychotic machine and a sick living being. As such it hisses, blops, churns and creaks in inumerous ways.</p>

<p>Okay, so that's the impression <em>I</em> get from it, but it's a very clear impression. At times, it's like I'm travelling in the interior of a synthetic human being, or a cyborg, and watching its inner organs functioning along with microchips and wires. Weird, huh? The impression you get can be vastly different, of course, but what matters is that I <em>really</em> like this. Unlike <strong>Confield</strong>, which was rather detached, <strong>Draft 7.30</strong> sounds like it's happening all around you. If you turn off the lights, close your eyes, pop in your headphones and put this on, you can utterly lose yourself in the music. There are certain elements that add a whole extra dimension to the music; you see, <em>depth</em>. I may very well be making things up, but how is one supposed to review Autechre objectively, other than maybe Autechre themselves? And what's the fun in reviewing Autechre objectively? If that's what you want, you can always check out the reviews of George Starostin.</p>

<p>Me, I'm subjective when it comes to Autechre, and I admit it. But of course there <em>has</em> to be some objectivity involved, so there ya go. <strong>Draft 7.30</strong> is really an evolution of <strong>Confield</strong>, in the sense that Autechre knew better what <em>exactly</em> they wanted. All songs seem to share a common mood. Yes, they sound a bit more alike, and this might be a case of you listening to one song and having no <em>clue</em> of how it goes after the album is over - especially since the titles give you no clue whatsoever: 'Vl Al 5'? 'P.:ntil'? O... kay. I wouldn't really be surprised if I ever found out that the titles have no meaning whatsoever, and that they were randomly generated or something. The music, though, doesn't sound randomly generated. There's clearly an inner logic within them; not to mention that the band always denied using random music generation, aside from in very, very specific places. And I admit it's a bit hard to believe they manually produced all those wildly convoluted, twisted rhythm rolls and lumps everywhere. But who can tell? In order to listen to Autechre, you gotta try to wrap your mind around stuff like that. It only adds to the fun. Then again, you might <em>not</em> do that. It adds to the fun as well.</p>

<p>From the very start of the record, you're thrown into the weird 'Xylin Room', with a highly convoluted rhythm built of deep bass drums, clonking sounds, weird metallic bangs and those buzzing creaks which really bring images to my head. The cacophony only grows, of course, and at three minutes and a half, the inner rhythm is dissolved and some creepy electric piano chords start to bump in. It's a really dizzy feeling, and might already give you an idea of what I mean with <em>depth</em> of music. The sensation is only added by the airy, echoey 'IV VV IV VV VIII' ("NWNW8", ha ha!), featuring a weirdly syncopated rhythm with synthetic drums and more of those squeaking noises. As you might have deduced, there isn't a single hint of melody in those ten minutes, and it only pops up in the shape of eerie chords at the end of '6ie.cr', a kind of disturbing, cleverly sequenced and syncopated funk. The rhythm work in that one is quite impressive, in fact. It's one of the most cleverly written tracks here, in my opinion. Of course, it's only a glimpse of what you'll see on the <em>magnum opus</em> of the record, 'Surripere', a track that starts off <em>really</em> ominous and foreboding, with a plodding rhythm and dark minor chords. But as it goes, it slowly morphs, adding on all sorts of sounds and sonicscapes, until all that's left is the coughing, stuttering rhythm. It's quite possibly the most "melodic" track here, and in my opinion, the most impressive - not because of its length, but the way it's structured and its gradual transitions that make the ending sound nothing like the beginning.</p>

<p>The only glimpse of actual chaos comes in the brief, but utterly disorienting 'Tapr', which works as a sort of introduction to 'Surripere'. The way those ambivalent chords and notes clash with the mad, twisted percussion beats is grand, hard to describe. The other songs are considerably tamer, but no "easy listening", either. Only 'Vl Al 5' is a bit unimpressive, but they all cast very moody atmospheres, in particular 'Theme Of Sudden Roundabout', with its looping rhythm, eerie pinging notes and whistle-like sounds. 'P.:ntil' has <em>very</em> strangely processed sounds, which at times sound like they're coming from an old, broken video-game console or something, 'V-Proc' has an excellently funky, broken rhythm pattern, and 'Reniform Puls' ends the album on a surprisingly toned down, anticlimactic note. It's all impressive and very enjoyable. It's one of their most interesting albums, for sure. Not for everyone, but need I really point that out?</p>

<p class="ratingHeader">
  Rating:
</p>

<p class="rating">
  <big>Fun factor:  <strong>14/15</strong></big> - More evocative and deep than before.<br />
  <big>Resonance:   <strong>13/15</strong></big> - Really, this stuff gets inside your mind.<br />
  <big>Originality: <strong>13/15</strong></big> - They are really into <em>their</em> own stuff now, reusing some tricks but making up new ones as well.<br />
  <big>Richness:    <strong>14/15</strong></big> - Good music abounds.<br />
  <big>Solidness:   <strong>13/15</strong></big> - Pretty cohesive, I say.
</p>

<p class="ratingFinale">
  Total: <img src="images/13.png" alt="13" />
</p>

<p><a href="mailto:sirmustapha@gmail.com">The Mail Machine</a>, super reviewer being.</p>

<hr />

<h2 id="untilted">Untilted (2005)</h2>
<p class="medium">
  Best song: <big>LCC</big>
</p>
<div class="medium">
  Track list:
</div>
<ol class="trackList">
  <li><span class="good">LCC ++</span></li>
  <li><span class="good">Ipacial Section ++</span></li>
  <li>Pro Radii <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Augmatic Disport <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Iera <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li><span class="good">Fermium ++</span></li>
  <li>The Trees <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li><span class="good">Sublimit ++</span></li>
</ol>

<p>Man, you know, Autechre are a bit notable for their strange, meaningless titles for songs and albums. But, for one, I think the title for this album <em>does</em> carry a certain intention behind it. It's not gratuitous, you know! I may be wrong, but <em>something</em> points me out this theory. You might think it's lunacy, but I don't care. I think Booth and Brown intentionally titled their album <strong>Untilted</strong> so that people would misspell it as <strong>Untitled</strong>. See, you just need to swap <em>two letters</em> to change the meaning of the title completely, and make people think Booth and Brown are giving a "witty" title to their album by playing a trick that's already awfully old. I admit <em>I</em> thought the title was <strong>Untitled</strong> at first glance, and was thankful when I realised it wasn't. And it might be a coincidence, but what's with those ambitious song titles? 'Augmatic Disport'? 'Pro Radii'? 'Sublimit'? Whoa. That's already a step away from '6ie.cr' and 'P.:ntil', ain't it? Oh, well.</p>

<p>Anyway, here the inner snob speaks louder, trying to create some controversy. Some people might think that Autechre finally collapsed under the weight of their own innovation, getting stuck in a circle of "experimental" and "abstract" clich&eacute;s; in other words, they are repeating themselves. But what do I say? This is my favourite Autechre record ever. Indeed, there isn't a whole lot of stuff here that they haven't done in previous albums. But never before have the elements of Autechre music come together so perfectly, fitting each other perfectly like pieces of a puzzle, and the result is perhaps not their most <em>challenging</em> album, but in my opinion, their most rewarding. No other album serves better as an example of what I called "internal logic" in their songs, and even though the songs more promptly collapse in "chaos" than in <strong>Draft 7.30</strong>, they actually seem to lead their own way in and out of it, in a more natural way. In short, this is a complete, self-sufficient statement. Statement of what? The hell should I know.</p>

<p>Perhaps the only "disappointing" thing about the album is that the best track is the very first one, so the rest of the album kind of pales in comparison to it. Well, okay, there is more than one awesome track on the album, but 'LCC' is plainly one of my favourite Autechre tracks ever. <em>This</em> is what I mean with "elements fitting each other perfectly". The track kicks in with a lightning-speed broken rhythm, with all sorts of metallic percussion sounds, sometimes sounding like steel pipes, sometimes like firecrackers. The rhythm just swirls by relentlessly, growing more menacing as each layer is added, until the whole thing goes berserk as if the synthesizers start to malfunction. But instead of stumbling into total chaos, the machine-gun percussion gives in to a slower, quieter, moodier passage, with an ensemble of humming synths that achieve a cruel, sadistic kind of beauty never seen in the band's catalogue before. This is an unique piece for Autechre, and <em>quite</em> a way to open this album.</p>

<p>Like I said, 'LCC' makes the other tracks a bit small in comparison, but they're all still entertaining in their own, wicked ways - especially since the band's "weirdness" is growing a bit unpredictable: we have 'Fermium', that in its five minute glory, is almost catchy, with funny percussions and synth pads, fading into the usual flurry of stuttering percussion that really doesn't lose its charisma. But just as we have that, we have 'Augmatic Disport', which immediately kicks in with an aggressive onslaught of "snare rushes" - i.e. percussion patches played exaggeratedly fast, to the point of deformity. That's a trick Autechre has been using <em>widely</em> in their previous releases, but in the intro to 'Augmatic Disport', the trick itself is so deformed that it's almost novel. Another interesting thing is how the track, instead of building its way towards chaos, gets progressively tamer as it goes, until the chaotic percussion rolls are reduced to a single quiet loop. Huh? Huh? And you say Autechre have fallen into self-repetition? Huh?</p>

<p>The goodies by no means stop there. 'The Trees' bursts in with an unforgiving, almost danceable groove, following an anticlimatic route similar to that of 'Augmatic Disport', while 'Pro Radii' builds up from dark percussion plods, snippets of samples of speech and whatnot, running through really weird percussion "solos", until it bumps at an interesting, eerie chord progression. Quite a development, indeed. It's one of the most interesting songs here, and so is 'Ipacial Section', which is neatly divided into three sections, each with their own strange sounds, and each building up near-chaos as the speedy rhythm rushes through. In the final section, particularly, they use several sounds that remind me of pinball machines, and I say it's pretty funny listening to music that sounds like a malfunctioning pinball table. The looping "melody" in the second part is pretty weird, too, and worth checking out.</p>

<p>The most interesting aspect of <strong>Untilted</strong> is that it is, indeed, "untilted". There's a very nice balance to it, and it doesn't overdo any of the elements. Not that I think <strong>Confield</strong> and <strong>Draft 7.30</strong> are weaker because they are "overdone". <strong>Untilted</strong> just sounds more intelligently crafted, going from the more friendly tracks like 'Fermium' to the darker, more haunting ones like 'Iera'; from the logical, coherent ones like 'LCC' to the aggressively senseless, like 'Augmatic Disport'. It makes the chaotic outbursts and ugly noises sound less like a gimmick and more like an essential element to it all. All songs are good, and some are absolute standouts, like the sixteen-minute-long 'Sublimit', the longest track Autechre released to this point, and also one of my personal favourites. Once again, spotlight on the seamless transitions between the different parts of the song, which are not only different from each other, but feature drastically different <em>sounds</em> - going from a fast flurry of percussion reminescent of 'LCC', it breaks unexpectedly into a broken rhythm with strangely <em>old</em> percussion and bass sounds and synth brass stabs. It's a very cool transition, and as the whole thing starts to malfunction, the song enters a quieter section that's what I could call the "main part" of the track, with a long percussion loop and other layers of loops joining in slowly, creating an understated build-up which works marvellously as an anticlimactic finale to the album. And for one, the song isn't really trying to <em>haunt</em> you or freak you out. Talk about balance, heh!</p>

<p>Perhaps I haven't conviced you at all that the album rules, and if that's the case, I'm not surprised. <strong>Untilted</strong> is my favourite Autechre album, and I'm perfectly comfortable with that, but how am I going to convince someone about it? Heh, I did my best. But what matters is that I <em>do</em> think this album is a good culmination of what they have been doing, and if they keep on this track, they have high chances of delivering a great album in a near future. Way to go, boys. Keep at it!</p>

<p class="ratingHeader">
  Rating:
</p>

<p class="rating">
  <big>Fun factor:  <strong>15/15</strong></big> - Just impressive, really.<br />
  <big>Resonance:   <strong>15/15</strong></big> - Works wonders. It really gets <em>me</em> going.<br />
  <big>Originality: <strong>14/15</strong></big> - Hard to say it here, but it seems Autechre finally found the <em>best</em> way to work with their own tricks.<br />
  <big>Richness:    <strong>15/15</strong></big> - Yes, all tracks are excellently written.<br />
  <big>Solidness:   <strong>15/15</strong></big> - No complaints here.
</p>

<p class="ratingFinale">
  Total: <img src="images/15.png" alt="15" />
</p>

<p>What kind of pun could I make here? "<a href="mailto:sirmustapha@gmail.com">Computer Mail</a>"? Heh, just <a href="mailto:sirmustapha@gmail.com">mail me your comments</a>.</p>

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